NEW DELHI: New Zealand captain
Kane Williamson
described his team's 84-run loss to Afghanistan in the ongoing
T20 World Cup
as "incredibly frustrating" on Saturday, urging his teammates to swiftly move on from the setback.
New Zealand faced difficulties against
Rashid Khan
(4/17) and
Fazalhaq Farooqi
(4/17), getting bowled out for 75 in 15.2 overs while chasing a target of 160.
"Incredibly frustrating performance. We certainly did prepare to the best of our ability. So, no excuses. For us, it's moving on quickly.
T20 World Cup 2024: Points Table | Schedule
"We know we've got a match in a few days and it's about putting out a better performance," Williamson said in the post-match press conference.
In their second Group C match, New Zealand will take on co-hosts West Indies in Trinidad on June 13.
Williamson mentioned that the Kiwis would convene soon to strategize and improve their performance against the two-time champions.
"We're going to have to sit down. We are going to have to have a chat and review a little bit and then move on quickly because the tournament is short from here on.
"I mean, it was mentioned we've been here for a long time (in the West Indies), but we knew that when the games started, they'd be coming thick and fast.
"So, it's making some small adjustments, and we know we go to a different venue against a different opposition. So, it's important we prepare for what's in front of us again. We know how strong the West Indies side is," elaborated Williamson.
However, the amiable Kiwi captain did not diminish the achievement of the brilliant Afghan side, which delivered a cohesive performance to outplay his team.
"I mean certainly they're not the standards that we expect of ourselves. But take nothing away from Afghanistan, they were superb.
"And they've been building as a group for some time now and we're seeing performances like that from them quite regularly," he added.
The ongoing T20 World Cup has featured several low-scoring games, but Williamson described them as "exciting."
"We've seen it throughout; the conditions keep changing in this competition and we've seen so many tight matches and that's the nature of it which is exciting in terms of a competition.
"But for us it's changing our focus, looking at some of the areas we can definitely get better at and moving on," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
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